Electric switch.



0. J'OHNSON. ELECMC SWITCH. APPLICATION man IULY 5.1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l* O. jOHNW.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. APPLICATION m20 JULY 5, ma.

aten'ed July l?, 1917 2 SHEET -SHEET 2.

mw W i osCAR JOHNSON', or cnicaec, rumors.

nnnc'raic SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July il?,

Original application filed January 27, 1913, Serial No. 744,304-, Divided and this application filed .'i'uly 5,

To all whom t may concern :f

Be it known that I, Osc/An JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This application is in the nature of a division of my application Serial No. TiLiOi, filed January 27, 1913, which earlier' appli' cation discloses means tor controlling electrically-propelled vehicles such as street and interurban cars. One of the objects of the invention disclosed in said earlier application is to provide means whereby the motor circuit may be opened by the conductor or a passenger, and whereby the motor circuit is automatically opened whenever the niotorman operates the mot-ormans brake valve to apply the brakes. The devices for opening and closing the mot-or circuit are described and claimed in the present application.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the circuit opener and closer. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

. Fig. 3 is a. vertical sectional view through the circuit opener and closer taken in the plane of dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane of dotted line 4 4 of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a view taken in the plane of dotted line 5 5 of Fig 4. lFig. 6 is a sectional detail view. Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the electricai contacts. Fig. 9 is a view of a means for locking the circuit opener and closer in open position.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the switch comprises a casing 20 having a cover 20a.' On two parallel guide 'rods 25 fixed in the casing is mounted a slide 26. A rod 22 is supported in the casing 20 for longitudinal reciprocating movement by means of a bearing 23 and a fixed tubular guide 24 in the casing. The rod 22 extends freely through an opening 26a (Fig. 3) in the slide 26, and is provided withan annular shoulder or collar 22a. Coiled springs 28 surrounding the guide rods 25 tend to hold the slide 26 in the closed-circuit position. On opposite sides of the slide 26 are pivots .26" (Fig. 3) upon which are r0- tatably mounted two electric vcontacts 2.

These contaotsre slidably insulated from the pivotsaand the slide. A bridge 26c is secured to the slide 26, by means of screws 291.51.16. is insulated from the slide oy Serial No. 777,381. i

means of insulating pieces of iiber or the like and by several loose strips ot mica 26e. The bridge 26c carries two contacts 26f that continually engage the contacts-27.

The contacts 27 are arranged to engage other contacts 2la herein shown as having the form of sleeves mounted upon posts 2l, said posts being secured to but insulated from the casing 20. The posts 2l are conf'nected to binding posts 2lb and 2lc to which the wires comprised in the motor circuit are connected. M (Fig. Ll) indicates the carpropelling motor. Asstated, the contacts 2la are in the form oivsleeves mounted for rotation upon the posts 2l. The sleeves are held in position by means of a pin 5l iixed in the post and engaging within recesses 52 in the lower end of the sleeve. In case -tlie sleeves become carbonized or otherwise damaged they may be lifted DE, turned one third of the way around, and replaced, tact surface being thus provided.

a new con- The contacts 27 likewise are movable to` A within which is a piston 30 (F ig. 4:) fixed I upon the rod 22. One end of the cylinder is connected to an'air supply pipe 'i' by means of a pipe 3l. When air is admitted through the pipe 3l the piston is forced in the direction to carry the collar 22 against the slide 26 and thus move the contacts 27 away from the contacts 2P, thereby opening the motor circuit.

A coiled spring 33' (Fig. i) surrounding the rod 22, and interposed between the end ofthe guide 24 and an annular shoulder 22 on.said rod, serves to move the piston 30 into normal position when the air pressure' is removed from said piston, that is to say, when the pressure has been exhausted from the train line.

vaWhen the circuit-breaker is operated to open said circuit, it is locked in the open position until'the motorman is ready to operate the controller to start the car. The means herein shown for thus locking the circuit- `breaker comprises a dog 3a (Fig. 9)' pivoted between its ends at 35. To one end of said dog is piyoted astem 36 to which is attached the armature (not shown) of an electro-magnet 38. I'Vhen the slide 26 is moved by the l piston 30 until said slide has passed the dog 34, said dog tilts into position to obstruct the return ofthe slide Any suitable means may be employed for releasing the dog, preferably some means actuated in the rotation of the speed roll of the controller located on each platform, said controller being connected directly with the trolley (not shown). Such controller-actuated releasing means may be of any suitable character. Herein I have shown electrical releasing means, said means comprising coacting contacts in the cont-roller a (Fig. l), 39 being a stationary contact iinger, and 39a being a contact on the thereby withdraws the dog 34. from locking Y mans brake valve at release.

relation to the slide 26. The latter is then moved into closed position by the springs 28, provided the motorman has set the motor- So long as there is pressure in the train line, the circuitbreaker cannot be closed; thus it is impossible to supply current to the motor while the brakes are on.

If desired. suitable means such as a valve 43 controlled by the piston 30 may be provided to connect the sand trap 62 to the air supply pipe uit when the circuit-breaker is operated.' "lhe outlet side ot' the valve 43 communicates with the sand trap through a pipe 4Q.

The casingZO may be filled with oil or other suitable liquid to lubricate the moving parts.

After a stop has been made and it is desired to set the car in motion, the motorman turns the motormans brake valve to full release, whereupon the air in the brake cylinder and the train line is exhausted in the usual manner. rI lhe spring 33 then restores the rod 22; As soon as the controller L is operated, the contact 39 closes a circuit through the electro-magnet 3S, thus causing the slide 26 to be unlocked, whereupon the springs '28 move the slide to close the motor circuit.

I claim as my invention:

l. In anelectricaily-propelled vehicle, the combination of a motor-circuit breaker, pres sure-fluid means for openingl said circuit breaker, means for locking the circuitbreaker in open position, a motor controller, and means operable by said controller for operating said locking means to release the circuit-breaker.

In an electrically-propelled vehicle, the combination of a motor-circuit breaker; means for opening the Ycircuit breaker; means for locking the circuit-breaker in open position; a motor-controller comprising a speed roll; and means operable by said speed roll for operating said locking means to release the circuit-breaker.

3. In an electrically propelled lvehicle, the combination of a motor circuit-breaker,

means tending to close the circuit-breaker, y

pressure-Huid means for opening said circuit-breaker against the force of the closing means, means for locking the circuit-breaker in open position, a motor controller, and means governed by said controller for operating the locking means to release the circuit-breaker.

-l. In an electrically propelled vehicle, the combination of a motor circuit-breaker, means tending to close the circuit-breaker, means for opening the circuit-breaker against the :torce of the closing means, a detent for locking the circuit-breaker in open position, an electro-magnet for withdrawing the detent, a circuit in which said electro-magnet is included, and a motor controller for clos- 'ing said circuit.

5. An electrically-propelled vehicle hav-` ing, in combination, a car-propelling motor, and a circuit therefor, a breaker included in said circuit, means for closing and maintaining said circuit breaker in closed position, means for operating said circuit-breaker to open the circuit, means for locking the circuit-breakerwhen in open position, a motor controller, and meansV operable by said controller for operating said locking means to release the circuit-breaker whereby said closing and maintaining means is enabled to close said circuit-breaker. i

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence ot' two witnesses. i

OSCAR JOHNSON. Witnesses EARL C. CARLSON, Gnonon L. CHINDAHL ioo lll 

